Dandelions
by Lilliwyn
Summary: The phases of life are like dandelions; sprouting, growing, and spreading their seeds to begin the next chapter in our lives. This is a series of oneshots that explore the adventures and misadventures of Leraen Cousland's childhood that helped to turn her into the lady that she became. Ch. 1: What do you get when you give a six-year-old a mabari? A puppy painted in pink, of course!


Hello, all! This is Lilliwyn with a series of oneshots that the plot bunnies have been bugging me with.

In this story I intend to write a oneshot for every year of my Cousland Warden's life from age six to eighteen. This is not necessarily connected to my other Dragon Age stories, _I Love You, Always_ and _The Rose Among the Thorns, _so you don't need to read any of these to enjoy an individual story its own. However, all of them do use my Human Noble Warden, Leraen Cousland, and might include elements that link them to each other.

As always, reviews, whether they be praise or constructive criticism, are always appreciated! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age: Origins. Bioware and Electronic Arts do.

* * *

"You really should eat something."

Leraen Cousland refused to look up at the man who sat in front of her. _He _was the one who had taken her away from her home, _he _was the man who had prevented her from saving her parents, and _he _was the man who was conscripting her into the Grey Wardens against her will. Leraen could feel Duncan's gaze on her as he offered her a bowl of soup. While it smelled delicious, the idea of eating it made her feel even more nauseous than her grief had caused her to feel in the first place.

"I'm not hungry," she said sharply.

"Suit yourself," the Warden said while he ladled a generous portion into his own bowl. "What about your dog? Does he have anything to eat?"

Leraen turned her attention to the Mabari whose head laid in her lap. He seemed to be just as depressed as she was. "Are you hungry, boy?" She asked as she began to scratch behind his ears. He made no movement indicating that he was interested in anything, and he wouldn't even look at the soup that was right in front of him. She took the bowl that Duncan offered and set it next to him, but Rover only sniffed it before he turned his head away. "I think he's all right for now," Leraen declared at last.

Leraen looked out at the trees around her. Even in front of the man who wouldn't stop staring at her she couldn't help but think about what it might take to run away from him. Could she outrun him? Were there any good places to hide from him in the forest? If she could escape and run back to Highever as fast as she could, would she make it there in time to save anyone if they weren't already dead or captured? She sighed; while the idea of running away was tempting, she knew that she wouldn't be able to run from Duncan, or wouldn't be able to run far from him, anyway. Perhaps that was why he held his attention on her: he knew that she might try to escape if he wasn't able to stop her.

"Maybe you should try to recall some good memories with your family," he said to disperse the silence in between his spoonfuls of soup. "It might help to alleviate your pain over their loss. Would you like to tell me one? I would be glad to listen."

Leraen paused. Such a thought right then felt irreverent. She _should _feel hurt and experience sorrow. Wouldn't feeling anything else so soon after her family members' deaths be like kicking dirt on their memory? She bit back a sob and rubbed her eyes before she sighed; she had just thought that she couldn't weep anymore.

But then again, would her family really want her to be so full of sorrow after their deaths? Leraen knew that her parents had wished for her nothing but happiness. Perhaps telling Duncan a tale of them would help her to remember the more joyful times and would give her a temporary escape out of her current tragic one.

She smiled through her tears as she remembered an amusing story from when she was little. "It was late spring in Highever when I had just turned six-years-old..."

* * *

"Raenie!"

Bryce Cousland's voice echoed down the hallways, alerting his daughter to the fact that he had finally arrived home.

"Papa!" She called as she ran briskly down the corridor to where her father stood. She jumped into his arms and he swung her around.

"Oh, it's my birthday girl! How old are you now, sixty?"

His little girl giggled. "No!"

"Eighty?"

"No!"

"Let's see, ummm," her father hummed while he rubbed his chin out of feigned puzzlement, "Seventy-eight?"

"No, Papa!" Leraen was laughing hard by then. "I'm six!"

"Oh, that's right, you're six. How could I have forgotten?" He set her down and smoothed her disheveled, light brown curls and her ruffled pink skirts once she was on her feet. "You look so pretty today."

Leraen giggled her response.

"But, do you know what! I brought a present home for you! Can you stay right here while I go and get it?"

Leraen nodded excitedly.

"Good! I'll be back in a minute, pup."

Leraen stood there anxiously while she watched her father leave the corridor. She had had a nice birthday, complete with a party with her friends, presents, and cake with strawberries and cream. But she had missed her father so much and wished that he hadn't been away for so long on her special day. But that only made her more excited to see him home and to receive his present to her.

Bryce soon came back down the hallway, hiding something behind his back. "Once you close your eyes and hold your hands out I'll give you your present. Wait until I tell you before you open your eyes back up, all right?"

The little girl extended her hands outwards and closed her eyes like her father told her to. "They're closed, Papa," she announced. She smiled as something small and furry was placed in her hands and laughed once she felt a cold, wet, and smooth object lap across her face.

"You can open your eyes now."

Leraen squealed with happiness when she discovered what was lying in her arms. "It's a puppy!" She tickled his ears while the dog licked her face. To her father, it didn't seem like she'd ever stop giggling.

"Now, this is a war dog, Raenie." The little girl's eyes grew large. "He may be small now, but he will one day grow to be really big and will become a good protector for you. Don't be afraid of him, though. If you treat him well, he will be your best friend for his whole life."

"Really?"

"Really." Her father patted her head.

"Is it a boy?"

"Yes it is."

"What's his name?"

"His breeder named him Rover, but you could call him anything you like."

Leraen put her chin in her hand while she heavily pondered for a name. She was so deep in thought that Bryce almost laughed out loud while she mentally searched for a good one. "Do you like Rover, puppy?"

The dog barked and wagged his tail.

"I think that he does like Rover. And if he likes it, then I like it, too," she said at last.

"Then Rover it is!" Bryce knelt down and hugged his daughter around her waist. "I wish that I could spend more time with you, love, but I had a person come home with me that I need to have a meeting with. Can you run to your room to play with the puppy while I'm gone?"

Leraen stuck out her bottom lip in disappointment but soon nodded. "Can you play with me later?"

"Of course, Rainie. Now, run along, dear. Nan will come to check up on you in a little while."

"All right, Papa. I love you!"

"I love you too." He kissed her forehead before she turned on her heels and skipped down the hallway with the puppy right behind her. "Oh, I almost forgot! There's one more thing I need to tell you about the dog."

Leraen stopped and turned back around. "What's that, Papa?"

"Many mabari owners identify their own dogs from others by painting designs on them."

The little girl's eyes grew even wider than before. "They paint their dogs?"

Bryce nodded and smiled. "They do, and you can, too."

A giant smile came upon Leraen's face as she turned around and skipped even faster towards her bedroom with Rover barking happily as he ran behind her. This caused Bryce to chuckle. He couldn't wait to see what that dog looked like when his little painter was done with him.

* * *

Leraen made sure that she had all of her supplies, several colors of her favorite pastel paints, her paintbrushes, and of course, the sparkly silver glitter that she was planning on covering the dog with, were in place. "Let's see, what will look pretty on you?" She asked Rover while she tried to pick what color she should start with. "Which one is your favorite?"

The dog barked and outstretched his paw towards the jar of shiny pink paint that stood in front of him on the floor. Leraen gasped. "You know what I said?" she asked.

Rover barked as if he was saying, "yes."

"You really do understand me!" She exclaimed as she hugged the puppy's neck. "Then I will paint pink all over you!"

The little girl set out to work, painting mostly pink flowers, but added some baby blue and lemon yellow polka dots all over Rover's coat. Next, she finger painted lime green squiggles in between them, and covered her hands with the green paint in the process. Then she added a finishing touch by dashing the glitter all over the puppy. It stuck in the paint and his brown coat and shimmered when he moved.

"Oh, you're so pretty!" she cooed once she finished. Rover barked in agreement and wagged his tail. "I'm so happy you like it! You're missing one thing, though." She pondered and thought and pondered some more as she tried to discover what that was. It was then that she noticed the dog's plain, dull, and undecorated nails. "I know what you need! Do you like pedicures?"

Rover barked excitedly again and wagged his tail.

"Yay! They I'll paint your nails!"

Leraen hurried and grabbed the jar of pink paint again. Carefully, she used a tiny brush to apply a small drop of paint onto each nail, making sure that it was spread evenly on each one. Next, she sprinkled some more glitter into the paint while it was drying.

Suddenly, a loud knock was heard on Leraen's bedroom door. "Who is it?" she called, trying in vain to hide her frustration over the fact that her dog's makeover was being so rudely interrupted.

"It's Nan, dear. Your father is summoning you to come meet his guest."

"He is?" She jumped to her feet and ran to open the door, smiling her toothy smile at her governess once she saw her.

"Maker's breath, child! What have you done to yourself?" The lady shook her head at the sight of the girl; she had paint all in the ruffles of her dress, on her face, all over her hands, and glitter in her curls. "I can't present you to your father in this state!"

"You mean I can't go see Papa?" The girl pouted and crossed her arms.

"Oh, Raenie. You're filthy. Of course you can't see him right now." She stepped inside. "Perhaps if we hurry, though, we can get you washed up in time to go see him."

Nan stepped away, but didn't immediately notice the mabari puppy who was sitting on the floor. With an enthusiastic bark, he sprinted for the door and almost knocked Nan over in the process, spreading a rainbow of paint all over her brown dress.

"Rover, come back!" Leraen called as she ran after the dog. She burst out of the door and into the hallway, but the puppy was too quick for her to catch. She soon found herself in the hall of the castle, where her father, her mother, Fergus, and his guest were waiting for her. The dog in his excitement ran to the new guest, and in his eagerness to make friends jumped on him, spreading the pink paint from his nails all over the man's blue tunic. "There you are!" she squealed once she was able to pick him up, the paint from Rover's coat further destroying the pink material on Leraen's dress.

"Leraen!" Nan exclaimed, dragging her back away from his visitor. "Oh, I'm so, so sorry, my lord!"

Bryce put a hand on Leraen's shoulder and pulled her backward. "You must forgive my daughter and her dog. They are both a bit of a handful."

The man stood there in stunned silence for a moment, making everyone around him nervous about what he would do next. But he brushed away everyone's worries once he shook his head and chuckled. "There's no need, Bryce. It was only an accident."

He next stooped down so that he could look into the little girl's eyes. "I am Arl Howe. Who might you be?"

The little girl smiled. "Leraen Cousland."

"Well, it's nice to meet you. You should come over and visit us sometime. I'm sure that you and Delilah would become the best of friends."

"I would very much like to make a new friend."

"Then we will arrange a visit soon. I might even be able to coax Nathaniel into meeting you. You would like him, too."

"Thank you, Rendon. You are too kind," Leraen's mother said.

"Don't worry about it, Eleanor. I would only wish for the same kindness if one of my children had gotten involved in such a misadventure. She is very sweet."

"Well now, I believe that it is way past the childrens' bedtime," Eleanor said at length. "Come along, Fergus, Raenie." After they gave some goodnight kisses to their father, Eleanor took them by the shoulders and pushed them towards the hall that led to their bedrooms.

After her mother tucked her into bed, Leraen slept quite soundly with the mabari right next to her. She dreamed of frolicking in fields full of flowers, of swimming through the blue oceans along with the mermaids, and of vanquishing mighty dragons with Rover by her side.

* * *

"And that's how I came to meet him." Leraen scratched Rover under the ears and smiled. "And my father was right: he has been my friend since the beginning."

Duncan returned her gesture. "He seems like a good dog."

"He has been. I'm glad that I have him left."

Duncan nodded. "I haven't seen you smile like this since..." his voice trailed off as he wisely decided not to mention what happened at Highever again.

Leraen looked back at the ground. She didn't need him to name the massacre for her to be reminded of her grief.

"You know what?" Duncan started, setting down his empty soup bowl by his side. "A teacher I once had told me that the phases of life we go through are often like dandelions. While it isn't applicable for every facet of our complicated lives, I find the analogy he told me comforting after disappointing or tragic situations. Before we come to a new chapter of our life, we see the pretty dandelion and go to pick it, casting away the one we had all along. We then marvel at it for a time before its yellow petals fade. It then sprouts its seeds, causing us to soon grow tired of its common appearance and deem it as a weed. We blow the seeds away, only to become saddened once they're gone and to pick a new one and continue the cycle."

"What are you saying, Duncan? I never threw away what I had; that traitor Howe did. I didn't ask for this. All that I had was taken from me!"

"Yes, that is true. But you would be lying if you said that you never considered joining the Wardens when I had arrived earlier today." He sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. "You have to find your new dandelion, Leraen, and I am hoping that you will find it among the Wardens."

Leraen nodded while she tried to hide her tearing eyes from the man in front of her. "I am sorry, Duncan. I am very grateful to you for rescuing me and giving me a second chance. I just wish that it wasn't so costly."

"Of course." Duncan pulled out two blankets from his pack and began to lay down on the cold ground before he covered himself with one. "You should try to get some sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us. "

Leraen laid down as well. Rover curled up next to her, helping to warm her against the cold night air. "Thank you for being my friend," she whispered into his ears before she quietly cried herself to sleep.


End file.
